The Book: 2006-2007 Ragin' Cajuns Basketball

[MiamiCajun32]

I think I may be getting a better handle on your position. You are a Gator fan that is also a Cajun fan. Every thread ever generated in the SEC has a league of people slamming the snot out of coaches and players, if one game is lost, if one player underperforms, if instant results are not achieved. The big difference in Cajun fan forums and those from the SEC... and let me explain... I am totally surrounded here in Baton Rouge from the LSU fanbase, and know what I am talking about.... the SEC has unlimited funds (virtually) and a fan composition that is in large made up of the average Joe on the street. "Joe" has no other thing in his life to herald, but his affiliation with some sports program of choice. "Joe" does not possess the nads to back a program that has limited funds, and a less than stellar history. "Joe" demands at every opportunity that his team be undefeated and crush every opponent.

A typical Cajun forum fan (not everyone... typical) is a fairly competent, intelligent person, who understands that we cannot fire and reload at will. We brag about our talent, because we are proud and believe in who we hire, who we recruit, and attempt to assist their pursuits with our full backing. If they completely fail us, without any sign of a plan for improvement, we will throw them out. The big difference is that we do not have the luxury of pulling the plug and throwing unworldly (and ridiculous) sums of money at coaches. Florida, on the other hand, has that ability at their immediate disposal.

I am not slamming you with my "Joe" analogy, nor do I believe all SEC fans are "Joe". It just so happens that your average "Joe" tends to dictate the fan mentality in the SEC. I have many SEC fan friends. My friends are intelligent, respectful (although heavily brainwashed) and do not side with "Joe". They will not do anything to disassociate "Joe" from their choice of sports program... not because they like him... but because they know he fills the stands, yells "Tiger Bait" the loudest, and is an amusing, imposing force when gathered and unleashed on a sports opponent.

Cajun basketball fans want our team to return to 20+ wins, NCAA or NIT appearances, and more. The idea that Coach Lee has been given ample opportunity to complete the mission he has started, or that this team has reached it's potential, is simply premature. I am in no way, nor is anyone else, satisfied with losing seasons in basketball. It is a matter of allowing the current plan to show improvement, then success. Back to the SEC... no patience... no need to. That is not our luxury at UL.

I agree with you. It is a different mentality. I just thought that with Cajuns basketball, there should be higher standards. Even if it is true that there are not the funds available to just expect coaching changes on a drop of a hat, etc., due to buy out problems, there should be an uproar over the 180 degrees turn regarding wins and losses and tradition of winning seasons year after year. Cajuns have overnight gone from a well respected and feared mid major program, with decades of tradition, to one of the worst teams in D1 this year and it is unrealistic to think that one of the worst teams in D1 is going to turn into a top 50 team in just a couple years, no matter how much youth is there.

Complacency amongst the fan base regarding the new losing tradition may cause the losing to just remain. It is exactly because of the lack of financial resources that the problem is so critical. I think we all know that the university will not and cannot spend money to correct the problem, so the decades of winning tradition sits in Lee's hands now. If he can't turn things around in the next two years, then the program may be headed for a completely different identity, one of a very weak mid major team, and one with poor fan attendance. SEC teams can buy their way out of problems, UL needs to have coaches and administrators feel accountable or their will not be changes. Giving Lee a 5 year guaranteed contract was one of the dumbest decisions that could have been made. He had absolutely no other suitors for a head coaching spot and he was thrilled to have the chance with Cajuns, a chance that he certainly deserved but it was an experimental hire.

For me, I have always been a Cajuns basketball fan more so than with the other sports, although I care about those too. I have always been particularly proud of the Cajuns basketball winning tradition. Never thought I would see the program drop so dramatically from NCAA tourneys to one of the worst teams in the country, with play that is so inconsistent that competitive losses are followed by 40 point losses to the same team! They won a couple in a row so maybe things are turning around. Just seems like even when they play well, it begs the question why they can't play well in other games, just like what has happened all three years of Lee's coaching. Even his first team, with Evans' players, was extremely inconsistent and it took him all year to figure out how to get that team to play to its potential. Last year's team took all season to finally play competitively in the sunbelt. This year's team came out of the gates impressive against top teams, but then dropped off dramatically. It seems to me that with all this young talent, the Cajuns should at least be in upper half of sunbelt right off the bat.

[MiamiCajun32]

big game james

If the much heralded recruiting class is only big conference school recruiting rejects, then unless we have a Tim Floyd type coach, there is really no way that the Cajuns will be at the level they were with Evans (not that I think he was the greatest coach around). Sure it is better in theory to have 4 year players, but if they are 1 star players, then you will not win nearly as much as you would with 3 to 5 star troubled transfers.

And if the recruiting class is so talented, then they should win in the sunbelt right off the bat with a decent coach because teams all over the country have shown they can win their conference with talented freshmen (talented relative to the particular conference competition).

[CrazyCajun]

big game james

may be the best big man to ever wear a cajun uniform! He reminds me of a big man from new iberia Lloyd Zeno

[Cajunsmike]

If the much heralded recruiting class is only big conference school recruiting rejects, then unless we have a Tim Floyd type coach, there is really no way that the Cajuns will be at the level they were with Evans (not that I think he was the greatest coach around). Sure it is better in theory to have 4 year players, but if they are 1 star players, then you will not win nearly as much as you would with 3 to 5 star troubled transfers.

And if the recruiting class is so talented, then they should win in the sunbelt right off the bat with a decent coach because teams all over the country have shown they can win their conference with talented freshmen (talented relative to the particular conference competition).

The recruiting class is talented. Unfortunately, the best ones did not qualify other than Milsap. He is starting to come around. His late start set us and him back. Other than the Michigan team of a few years back, what teams have won their league with freshman? I know it happens when a couple of freshman play, but I don't know if it happens often when many of them have to contribute. I know you like transfers, we have another coming next year. Maybe he will help. Send BOP your email, he wants to send you some info.

[scotto_25]

may be the best big man to ever wear a cajun uniform! He reminds me of a big man from new iberia Lloyd Zeno

Big Lloyd was friggin horrible.............haha

[campo118]

I think I may be getting a better handle on your position. You are a Gator fan that is also a Cajun fan. Every thread ever generated in the SEC has a league of people slamming the snot out of coaches and players, if one game is lost, if one player underperforms, if instant results are not achieved. The big difference in Cajun fan forums and those from the SEC... and let me explain... I am totally surrounded here in Baton Rouge from the LSU fanbase, and know what I am talking about.... the SEC has unlimited funds (virtually) and a fan composition that is in large made up of the average Joe on the street. "Joe" has no other thing in his life to herald, but his affiliation with some sports program of choice. "Joe" does not possess the nads to back a program that has limited funds, and a less than stellar history. "Joe" demands at every opportunity that his team be undefeated and crush every opponent.

A typical Cajun forum fan (not everyone... typical) is a fairly competent, intelligent person, who understands that we cannot fire and reload at will. We brag about our talent, because we are proud and believe in who we hire, who we recruit, and attempt to assist their pursuits with our full backing. If they completely fail us, without any sign of a plan for improvement, we will throw them out. The big difference is that we do not have the luxury of pulling the plug and throwing unworldly (and ridiculous) sums of money at coaches. Florida, on the other hand, has that ability at their immediate disposal.

I am not slamming you with my "Joe" analogy, nor do I believe all SEC fans are "Joe". It just so happens that your average "Joe" tends to dictate the fan mentality in the SEC. I have many SEC fan friends. My friends are intelligent, respectful (although heavily brainwashed) and do not side with "Joe". They will not do anything to disassociate "Joe" from their choice of sports program... not because they like him... but because they know he fills the stands, yells "Tiger Bait" the loudest, and is an amusing, imposing force when gathered and unleashed on a sports opponent.

Cajun basketball fans want our team to return to 20+ wins, NCAA or NIT appearances, and more. The idea that Coach Lee has been given ample opportunity to complete the mission he has started, or that this team has reached it's potential, is simply premature. I am in no way, nor is anyone else, satisfied with losing seasons in basketball. It is a matter of allowing the current plan to show improvement, then success. Back to the SEC... no patience... no need to. That is not our luxury at UL.

Probably the best post I've read since joining this board two years ago. I've always had the "joe" analogy in my head, but never knew how to explain it. Thanks

[SlappyCajun]

Ok, I repsect your opinion and think you are a really smart basketball fan who loves the game. I even understand you can be upset about recruiting and the past two seasons. But please, give something to back up your statement that it took Robert Lee all season to get those guys to play to their potential in the first season. That makes completely no sense to me whatsoever. Awaiting your response.
Thanks.

[MiamiCajun32]

Ok, I repsect your opinion and think you are a really smart basketball fan who loves the game. I even understand you can be upset about recruiting and the past two seasons. But please, give something to back up your statement that it took Robert Lee all season to get those guys to play to their potential in the first season. That makes completely no sense to me whatsoever. Awaiting your response.
Thanks.

I am no expert of course, but I do recall that first Lee team really ramping up and playing much better at the end of the season. There was just so much SEC type talent on that team, with tall athletic guards, etc. The team that played a top 5 Louisville team to the wire (and without any lucky breaks or Louisville having a bad game) did not play like that for much of the season. OG was out of course and playing hurt much of the season. It just sort of seemed like a very talented and veteran team just sort of figured out how to play at a high level, almost by default, by the end of the season. The wins started coming in bunches after sunbelt play started (pre-conference was not consistent performance) and then the Cajuns were a dominant sunbelt team by the time the conference tourney came around. For a big part of the season it seemed like, even with all that talent, it was up to Tiras Wade to shoot the Cajuns to victory. Seemed like a top 25 type team that never really got going at that level until the very end of the season. For example, if the Cajuns were playing in a better conference, they may have had only a /500 type record going into the conference tourney, even though they were top 25 talent. Rick Pitino was so right when he said that the Cajuns were the most talented team he has ever faced in the first round of the NCAA tourney and were one of the most talented they had faced all year. May have been a top 25 team playing like a top 75 team for much of the year. Just my amateur opinion. Playing Louisville to the wire when the final four Cards brought their A game was something special to watch. Too bad they could not have played half that well consistently during the season so they would have had a much higher seed in the tourney, a top 25 ranking, and a surge in top recruits coming in afterwards.

[MiamiCajun32]

so urban meyer just won a national championship with ron zook's talent. You don't hear anybody saying that

Ron Zook can definitely recruit. No doubt about that. Spurrier won the title with Zook's recruits too! (he was the recruiting wiz on that staff) Zook is also a super great guy. A lot like Lee! But he did not get a free ride to coach the Gators after only fringe top 25 seasons and inconsistency. And Lee's performance is worse in my opinion, relative to the program's winning tradition. The Cajuns having 20+ loss seasons in basketball is like the Gators having losing records in football. Just does not happen. Zook going 8-5 year after year was not a total embarassment to Gators fans, but he had to go. Inconsistent play was main reason.

Meyer won with Zooks' juniors and seniors and Meyer's freshmen. 24 true freshmen played in that title game. The recruiting class is unbelievable for '07.

Maybe if Lee had been able to win at top 25 level with Evan's players in his first year, then Lee would perhaps have easier time recruiting big conference type 4 year players now.

[SlappyCajun]

I am no expert of course, but I do recall that first Lee team really ramping up and playing much better at the end of the season. There was just so much SEC type talent on that team, with tall athletic guards, etc. The team that played a top 5 Louisville team to the wire (and without any lucky breaks or Louisville having a bad game) did not play like that for much of the season. OG was out of course and playing hurt much of the season. It just sort of seemed like a very talented and veteran team just sort of figured out how to play at a high level, almost by default, by the end of the season. The wins started coming in bunches after sunbelt play started (pre-conference was not consistent performance) and then the Cajuns were a dominant sunbelt team by the time the conference tourney came around. For a big part of the season it seemed like, even with all that talent, it was up to Tiras Wade to shoot the Cajuns to victory. Seemed like a top 25 type team that never really got going at that level until the very end of the season. For example, if the Cajuns were playing in a better conference, they may have had only a /500 type record going into the conference tourney, even though they were top 25 talent. Rick Pitino was so right when he said that the Cajuns were the most talented team he has ever faced in the first round of the NCAA tourney and were one of the most talented they had faced all year. May have been a top 25 team playing like a top 75 team for much of the year. Just my amateur opinion. Playing Louisville to the wire when the final four Cards brought their A game was something special to watch. Too bad they could not have played half that well consistently during the season so they would have had a much higher seed in the tourney, a top 25 ranking, and a surge in top recruits coming in afterwards.

I understand. However, probably the reason why wins didn't start coming in bunches until conference season is because they played @Kansas, @ Vanderbilt, @ NC State and @ Charlotte. Three of those without Orien Greene. They went on like an eight game conference win streak. I don't know if they were top 25 talent. But the reason why it seemed like it was up to Tiras Wade to shoot us to victory is becuse no one else could shoot.